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As citizens across the EU prepare to cast their vote in the European elections, the latest Living and working in Europe report from Eurofound looks at how work and life has changed in the EU since 2015. It shows that Europe continues to strive forward in terms of employment, income and prosperity and that this is gradually improving levels of trust. However, the lingering malaise of the financial crisis, unease over migration, and perceptions of inequality has dampened feelings of progress for many.

People at work in Europe report good health and well-being, and increased control over their work activities. However, Eurofound data shows that work is also becoming more emotionally demanding, which poses a risk to health, as well as the long-term sustainability of work itself.

Almost all EU Member States will experience a decline in GDP. In the case of the Netherlands, Hungary and Germany, this would be close to, or in excess of, 2%. Germany, Europe’s largest exporter to the US, is particularly vulnerable to higher US import tariffs. However, it is the Netherlands that stands to be the most affected economically from the direct impact of lower trade volumes to the US, and also more generally from weaker economic activity in the EU, as the Netherlands acts as one of the main ports for EU trade with destinations outside the bloc.

The world’s largest economies, particularly the EU, China, the US, Mexico and Canada, are all projected to suffer economically from the re-emergence of economic protectionism, and a significant increase in trade tariffs. In the case of the EU, the bloc would experience a 1% contraction in GDP, a 0.3% lower rate of employment, and a 1.1% decrease in imports by 2030, compared to a ‘no new tariffs’ baseline scenario.

On 26 May 1975 the Council passed Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75 on the creation of a new Agency that would aim to contribute to the planning and establishment of better living and working conditions, through the dissemination of knowledge pivotal to working life in Europe. Now, almost 44 years later, the Founding Regulation of Eurofound gets a 21st Century update that reflects the organisation’s expertise, and continued modernisation and adaptation to a rapidly changing Europe.

The successful transition towards a low-carbon economy, as defined by the Paris Climate Agreement, is projected to result in a 1.1% growth in GDP, and a 0.5% growth in employment, in the EU between now and 2030. This is compared to a ‘business as usual’ baseline forecast. Globally, China is also projected to benefit from a low-carbon transition, but the United States would experience a 3.4% drop in GDP, and a 1.6% decline in employment.
This analysis is based on a global macro-economic model run by Cambridge Econometrics and Eurofound’s European Jobs Monitor. It is detailed in the Energy scenario: Employment implications of the Paris Climate Agreement report from the Future of Manufacturing in Europe (FOME) project. FOME is an EU project proposed by the European Parliament and delegated to Eurofound by the European Commission.

The number of fathers taking advantage of their paternity leave entitlements has been on the rise in most countries over the past decade. However, with the exception of the initial family time typically taken around the time of the birth of the child, the data on parental leave suggest that this benefit is not yet fully exploited.

Age plays an important role in life: whether it’s starting school, taking that first alcoholic drink, voting in elections or drawing the pension. Such milestones are grounded in policy that is developed and operationalised through the prism of age. However, quality of life across age groups in Europe is showing both an east-west and north-south divide, with social exclusion reaching worrying levels in the Balkan countries.

Europe's labour market is set to become even more polarised, largely due to the growth of jobs at the very bottom of the wage distribution. However, across the EU28, there is considerable heterogeneity in the patterns of structural change by job-wage quintile, with many Member States projected to upgrade their occupational structure towards higher paying jobs.

Overall trust in institutions such as national governments, the legal system, the EU, and the media has rebounded in Europe following the recent economic recovery – showing that the ‘crisis of trust’ in European societies following the Great Recession was largely temporary. However, in a number of the Member States most adversely impacted by the crisis, trust in national institutions has still not returned to pre-crisis levels.